Rising medical costs have given new impetus to the growing movement toward
do-it-yourself surgery.

While the practice can be risky, Americans in increasing numbers are shunning traditional surgery and opting for a do-it-yourself approach.

Those who have opted to perform surgery on themselves often point out that a typical surgery in a hospital costs tens of thousands of dollars and is beyond the reach of many.

The practice has yet to receive the approval of the FDA, but the growth of self-surgery, along with public outcry over surgical costs, may convince the medical watchdog to look more kindly on the risky practice.

Of course, the dangers vary with different surgical procedures.  While it is relatively small for lancing a boil or excising a wart, it can pose much larger risks in such procedures as do-it-yourself open-heart surgery, brain surgery, and even relatively simple operations like tonsillectomies and appendectomies.

Fatalities have gone underreported, because advocates frequently perform the surgeries in the privacy of their own homes and, due to blood loss or other possible complications, often find it difficult to dial 911.

A complete account of one attempt at self-surgery can be found in the Newslaugh.com’s Spoof of the Week, titled "Do-It-Yourself Heart Surgery.".  We refer you to it for the not entirely heartrending details of the account.

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